Line-composing and casting machines



Aug. 12, 1958 K. DEBUS ETAL LINE-COMPOSING AND CASTING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1956 K. DEBus ETAL LINE-COMPOSING ANDCASTING MACHINES Aug. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7. 1956United LINE-COMPOSING AND CASTING MACHINES Karl Debus, Bad Homburg V. D.H., and Kurt Heimel, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignors to LinotypeGesellschaft mit beschriinkter Haftung, Berlin-Tempelhof, Germany Theinvention relates to a mechanism for changing over magazines inline-composing and casting machines, particularly machines having aplurality of distributors and pivoted magazines, the position of whichcan only be varied in relation to the assembling mechanism.

In the machines of this type hitherto known, changing over of themagazine was affected mechanically by means of a hand lever or a handwheel through intermediate members. The main disadvantages of thismethod are that the compositor has to leave the keyboard to perform theoperation which takes a substantial amount of force, and a comparativelylong time. A serious disadvantage with known changeover mechanisms whichare mechanically operated is that they are unsuitable for linecomposingand casting machines which are controlled by means of perforated strips.

According to the present invention, all these disadvantages are overcomeas a result of the fact that the power necessary for changing over themagazine is supplied by an electro-magnetic system which is actuated byhand or by means of a relay which may, if necessary, be controlled bythe perforated strip.

In one embodiment of the invention, the changeovermay be effected insuch a manner that the member of the electro-magnetic system providingthe mechanical power acts directly on the frame supporting the magazine.In this case, either a double electro-magnet is used, that is, anelectro-magnet which acts mechanically in both diretcions, or a simplesolenoid which is permanently energized in at least one working positionand is de-energised for the other working position. instead of anordinary solenoid, a self-locking solenoid is also possible, which ismechanically locked in the working position and de-energised.

This direct-acting mechanical embodiment has the advantage for example,that additional mechanical trans mission members are not needed. Incertain line-composing and casting machine systems, however, it isnecessary, before changing the position of the magazine, to displaceother machine parts, for example matrix escapement bars, so as to openthe Way for the magazine; the escapement bars are returned when thefinal magazine position has been reached.

For such types of machine it is a greater advantage if the member of theelectro-magnetic system supplying the mechanical power according to theinvention is coupled to an intermediate member, for example a shaftwhich both controls the matrix escapment bars and actuates tht actualmagazine.

In this case it is an advantage to use as a magnet a simple solenoidwhich needs only a brief current impulse for each operation, whichimpulse is initiated by means of a manually operated member for examplea key, or by means of relays controlled by perforated strips.

This embodiment with actuation by means of a relay or set of relayscontrolled by a perforated strip has the Patent ice further advantagethat only a single combination of holes is necessary.

The mechanism according to the invention is particularly advantageouswhen the mechanical member of the electro-magnetic system acts on acontrol member such as a cam plate during the first working stroke insuch a manner that turning of the shaft takes place in one di rectionand after the solenoid has been de-energised, for example as a result ofreleasing the manually operated key, the push rod which has been movedback, for example by its own weight, is guided in such a manner that itreaches a starting position which causes a rotation of themagazine-changing shaft in the opposite direction during the nextworking stroke.

The displacement of the actual magazine may conveniently be effected bymeans of a second cam which is provided on the magazine-changing shaftand which causes the magazine movements-through a follower pro vided onthe magazine supporting frame. Yet a third cam may conveniently bemounted on the same shaft, by means of which the matrix-escapement bars'are moved, for example through a follower and lever.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way ofexample, with reference'to the accompanying drawings. it

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically on a reduced scale the changeoverarrangement according to the invention in which the lower magazine A ofthe machine is in the working position.

Figure 2 is the same view in the operating position in which the uppermagazine B is in the working position.

The magazines A and B and the escapement bars are indicated in bothfigures by lighter outlines.

The dash-lines in both figures indicate the position of the push rod atthe moment when the rotation of the magazine-changing shaft iscompleted.

The electro-magnet l is supplied through the lines 2, 3 and the manuallyoperated key 4 which may be replaced by a relay or a set of relays inthe machine controlled by a perforated strip, with current from thesource 5. The armature 6, for example an ordinary plunger of theelectro-magnet 1, is connected by means of a number of intermediatemembers 4 to 14 to the cam plates 15 and 18. More in detail, armature 6is connected by means of the articulation 7 to the push rod 8, at theother end of which is mounted a pin 9 which is movable in the cam-slotor cam member 10 of the control member or cam-plate 11. At each end thecam-slot has recesses 13 and 14 respectively, which effect a morereliable coupling of the push rod 8 to the cam-plate 11 through the pin9 during the changeover.

The cam-plate 11 is rigidly mounted on the magazinechanging shaft 12, onwhich is also mounted the camplate 15 which moves the matrix-escapementbars 21 through a follower 16 and a spring-loaded lever 17.

Also mounted on the magazine-changing shaft 12 is the cam-plate 18 whicheffects the movement of the magazine through the follower 20 fixed tothe lower magazine supporting frame 19.

The mechanism according to the invention operates as follows:

In order to change over from one magazine to the other, the manuallyoperated key 4 (Figure 1) is briefly depressed and released again. Theelectro-magnet 1 thus receives an impulse as a result of which itsarmature 6 executes a movement in the direction of the magazinechangingshaft 12. This power stroke is transmitted through the push rod 8 andthe pin 9 to the recess 13 of the cam-slot in cam plate 11 so that thecam-plate 11 is turned in clockwise direction at the same time turningthe magazine-changing shaft 12.

Wi h the urning, ofhe ha t the cam-Plate 15 is likewise turned in aclockwise direction, as a result of which the matrix-escapement bars 21are lifted from their operating position through the follower 16 and thelever 17 and are moved in such a manner that the motion of bothmagazines can no longer be obstructed by e ma x seapemen b s Inaddition, the cam plate 18. is turned in the same direction, as a resultof which the frame 19 carrying the magazines is moved by means of thefollower 20 in such a manner that a changeover is effected from themagazine A which was previously in the operating position, to the uppermagazine B so that the latter is brought into he pe at n porsi onecorresponding ute m s r highest position of the push rod 8 can be seenin light ash-l n in. Figu 2.

The solenoid, which has been deg-energised in the meantime, then permitsthe armature 6 and the push rod 8 to return to the lower dead-centreposition by gravity, the push rod 8 being transferred by the pin 9through the cam-slot in cam plate 11 from the position illustrated inbroken lines in Figure 2 to the position shown in full lines in thatfigure, preparation thus being'made for the next change.

The mechanism is now ready, on actuation of the key 4, to act in such amanner that the magazinefchanging shaft 12. is turn d in t pp ite re onsoth h rs ma a e A is aga n brou ht into the wo kin p sition.

We claim:

In a line-composing and casting machine having a plurality of magazines,a magazine changeover device comprising an electromagnet having amovable armature, a pushrod coupled to said armature, a mechanism formoving a selected magazine to an operative position, which mechanism hasan operating shaft, a cam plate secured to said shaft, the earn platecomprising a cam member shaped and arranged to cooperate with saidpushrod so that a rotation of said shaft takes, place in one directionon movement of the armature effected by energization of theelectromagnet and, after the electromagnet has been deenergized, saidpush rod is guided by said cam member to such a position that rotationof said shaft in the opposite direction is effected during the nextworking stroke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,109,696 Muehleisen Sept. 8, 1914 1,135,423 Albrecht Apr. 13, 19151,222,120 Muehleisen Apr. 10, 1917 1,941,729 Albrecht Ian. 2, 19342,199,772 Allan et al May 7, 1940 2,252,472 Scott et al Aug. '12, 19412,307,071 Plastaras Jan. 5, 1943 2,314,324 Allan et a1 Mar. 23, 19432,663,406 Rossetto et a1. Dec. 22, 1953

